On an 11-game Friday slate, the NBA injury list keeps altering the fantasy landscape. Knowing who’s in and out can be profitable at DraftKings. With Kevin Durant (hamstring) unavailable, Russell Westbrook $11600 becomes a nightly triple-double threat. At the highest salary of any player all season, anything less will be a disappointment.
Several of the other top-rated PG are either out (Kyrie Irving) or questionable. On Wednesday, Damian Lillard $8900 tore off his right thumbnail, which could affect his shot and ball-handling, while Ricky Rubio $7500 has now missed two games with a sore knee.
As an affordable compromise, try Kyle Lowry $8100 or Rajon Rondo $7600, who has been playing 48 minutes and notched two triple-doubles this week. Cory Joseph $3500 remains a bargain as the sixth man for the shorthanded Raptors.
Plays of the Day
The $300K Sharpshooter is just a $3 buy-in (FREE to new depositors at DK) that pays the top 23,535 finishers from up to 115,000 teams. First place wins $20,000. Enter before the 7:00 ET deadline; you can make unlimited lineup changes until each player’s game begins.
James Harden $10100 towers above the SG options, especially with Victor Oladipo (concussion) out. However, we can’t afford a 5-digit superstar everywhere. Teammate Marcus Thornton $5500 is half the price and on a roll. Alec Burks $5100 is also sharp, while Dion Waiters $4000 figures to get extra touches.
LeBron James $9900 and Paul George $9200 are worth the money. DeMarre Carroll $5600 (foot) remains doubtful and the SF midrange is somewhat thin; maybe Joe Johnson $5200 will thrive in Sacramento. Even cheaper are James Johnson $3700 and Shabazz Muhammad $3100 but their ceilings are limited.
With Anthony Davis $10700 (hip) doubtful, Paul Millsap $8000 and Kevin Love $7900 top the PF list. Serge Ibaka $6500 is another Thunder player to uptick. Clint Capela $4400 provides good value when Dwight Howard $7400 doesn’t play — stay on top of breaking news and tweak your lineups accordingly.
The “good” DeMarcus Cousins $9900 scored 33 points (including four triples) on Wednesday and is back in game shape. Marc Gasol $6700 is a consistent, safe selection at C, with Enes Kanter $5300 a possible bargain even if he doesn’t start.
Lineup selection begins with the Westbrook decision. Using Russ and even one of the other extensive studs forces you to surround them with bargains. Lakers rookie Larry Nance Jr. $3000 is trending in the right direction, and Nuggets rookie Nikola Jokic $3000 was outstanding in just 14 minutes on Wednesday: 8 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST 2 STL.
By saving $4000 with Rondo and $5600 with Thornton over the obvious choices at the guard spots, I can afford two superstars at scarce positions. By using one rock-bottom salary, my other three “scrubs” look pretty good.
| Pos | Premium | Midrange | Bargain |
| PG | Russell Westbrook $11600 | Rajon Rondo $7600 | Cory Joseph $3500 |
| SG | James Harden $10100 | Marcus Thornton $5500 | Alec Burks $5100 |
| SF | Paul George $9200 | Joe Johnson $5200 | James Johnson $3700 |
| PF | Paul Millsap $8000 | Clint Capela $4400 | Larry Nance Jr. $3000 |
| C | DeMarcus Cousins $9900 | Marc Gasol $6700 | Enes Kanter $5300 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.